Story Summary: Starting Over, page posted 11/28/12

Page 33 of 34

Author commentary

Veronica: I am really happy with the fire effect in the first panel.

Reader comments

Comment ID #233362

No, no, no, no, no. You broke down before that. At this point, you had just woken up. Also, it seems slightly strange that Lucy risked her life to save his on more than one occasion and still cares for him whereas he does it once and instantly hates her. I guess this explains the exact time at which he grows to dislike her. Odd, I thought it happened before this.
So, does this imply that this was the point at which Mike decided to hate her, the point at which he decided to show it, or the point Lucy noticed it? Each option drastically changes the way this problem can be viewed.
Still though, it doesn’t seem fair for Mike to hate her after this. I mean, this wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t accidentally fallen into the river. Also, he knows (from experience) that she would risk her life for him, so why does he feel so spiteful when he finally returns the favor?
Lastly, this page is kind of a combo-breaker. It’s the one time she doesn’t blame him for something and is instead appreciative.

@ Poopie
ALWAYS!
@ Levita
David, Paulo and Tessa from left to right.

NikitaNovember 28, 2012, 12:00 AM EST.

Comment ID #233363

B’awww
@Nikita First again, huh. Hm….

poopie123November 28, 2012, 12:00 AM EST.

Comment ID #233364

In short Mike is awesome at being nice but he is oblivious and contradicts himself. Lucy is just as awesome but is emotionally unstable and needs to open up in a more positive way. They both need to learn to communicate better. Yep, get a good look everybody this is the infamous turning point where Michael starts disliking Lucy. Mike don’t be hatin’ on Lucy.

I wonder what happened to Mike during that fall that made him think “I hate you Lucy” was it some “magical” change? Nah it was definitely Mike getting some sense knocked into him he is already in enough pain and having Lucy call him an idiot for saving her life is not going to make things better.

supertails19November 28, 2012, 12:00 AM EST.

Comment ID #233365

I find it strange how her love for him and mistrust for all people/animals around her conflict with her getting to mike before sandy impacted them

ProfatgamerNovember 28, 2012, 12:02 AM EST.

Comment ID #233366

I agree with Supertails19, and it’s also nice seeing all this from her point of view.

InnoceiNovember 28, 2012, 12:02 AM EST.

Comment ID #233367

I really feel sorry for Lucy in this arc. I haven’t been much of a lucy sympathizer so far per se, but its sort of refreshing to see things from her point of view rather than from the outside which just always made her look like a clingy crazy cat.

Frodomann1November 28, 2012, 12:03 AM EST.

Comment ID #233368

I hope she explains why mikes this way!I

StephanoNovember 28, 2012, 12:05 AM EST.

Comment ID #233369

Can somebody explain me who are these 3 shadows in panel 2?

LevitaOmniaNovember 28, 2012, 12:07 AM EST.

Comment ID #233370

The issue isn’t the fact that Mike saves Lucy this one time and suddenly hates her because of it… if you remember from the actual comic/part this storyline was in, Mike hated coming back to see Lucy all over Paulo. He felt that if Lucy could move on from him SO quickly and SO easily, than he obviously meant nothing to her. This is his own stubbornness that mirrors Lucy’s (the same stubbornness that makes her refuse her feelings for him through these words).

He didn’t see that it was so painful for her that she had to cling to someone in order to stay in one piece, even though she was breaking down inside.

SilversomaNovember 28, 2012, 12:14 AM EST.

Comment ID #233371

OH, oh oh-ok… So that is how you see things Lucy.
The whole, encouraging Mike to call Sandy to save yourself from his conflicted affections between Lucy-Sandy (Being nice to Lucy while day dreaming of Sandy) was just “… you found Sandy”(pg 31 this chapter).
I suppose the whole forcing Mike to not publicly acknowledge Sandy as his girlfriend to keep Yashie (and herself) sane isn’t worth a recall.
In this case, to her, Mike is really PMSing with drastic mood swings out of no where.
Interesting.

VanvoltraNovember 28, 2012, 12:20 AM EST.

Comment ID #233372

This is kind of where Mike started being meaner to Lucy in the comic… concussion?

BlehNovember 28, 2012, 12:25 AM EST.

Comment ID #233373

Hmm, So taeshi are you going to do a flashback comic about what was going through mikes head when fell of the cliff, because this page makes it seem that mike realy started to hate her after he fell

lov/hate/hurtNovember 28, 2012, 12:28 AM EST.

Comment ID #233374

Wow…. If this isn’t a blast from the emotional past.

Now, I sympathize with Mike, partly because I know people are going to attack him for his sudden change of heart. But another part totally because he just had a near-death experience (as-in, he believed he was going to die) completely for Lucy. Then, miraculously, he’s alright, but Lucy by all appearances has moved on to Paulo, using him for comfort. So yeah, he’s going to feel a little bit betrayed. I feel for that.

I totally understand Lucy’s side of it too: As far as she knows, her best friend and long-time crush just died to keep her from doing so. Talk about survivor’s guilt. Paulo provides her a much-needed shoulder to cry on at the time, and she takes full advantage of that. It’s not that she’d moved on from Mike, or even wanted to as far as I can see - she just wasn’t sure how to handle it. Naturally, she ran toward comfort.

Unfortunately, Mike can’t understand her point of view, because he underestimates how much he means to her. It’s no one’s fault, (aren’t I the mediator) just a lack of vital communication.

HEY, THAT SEEMS FAMILIAR!

All said and done, excellent work Taeshi. Really enjoy the comic, and can’t wait to see the conclusion of this chapter. Sure you’ll blow us away, on par with the usual.

ZeroNovember 28, 2012, 12:52 AM EST.

Comment ID #233375

Here is my interpretation since this chapter and the next are still my favorites.

A thing to keep in mind is the discussion he has after this with Zachary. He talks about his job and his role in the relationship. How he is important to lucy because he keeps her from falling apart because she is so emotionally weak and without friends. He doesn’t consider himself to be truly liked by her, he is just needed and being in that position is a tremendous burden. And what does he get from it except getting punched and called names and treated like crap.

The reason this really comes to his mind now is seeing her cling on so many other people and then start clinging on him once she finds out he is alive. He begins to feel that Lucy needs SOMEONE to lean on and to be the burden of and up until now it has been him but as shown by her leaning on everyone else it doesn’t necessarily need to be him. She just needs SOMEONE and up to this point it has been his thankless job.

He had awhile to think about this after finding out that she actually essentially passed out when she thought he was gone where everybody else, while shaken and terrified, still kept their wits about them. Instead she completely shattered and he began to realize as Zachary points out to lucy later, that he will eventually be leaving her and going his own way and she will likely fall to pieces the same way when that happened and he doesn’t want his future happiness to be jeopardized by the burden of Lucy.

From that moment until she eventually wakes up he has time to think about things and his conclusions aren’t making him happy which is why he starts getting tired of all of this.

http://www.bittersweetcandybowl.com/c45/p4.html
This and the next page are key.
“Even as a child she clung to me, but not because she loved me. All she cares about is herself. I’ve grown to deal with that. No questions or nothing, I KNOW MY ROLE.

Also if Taeshi reads this I just wanna say that that panel of the torn up stuffed animal is probably the emotional scene in all of the comic and its amazing and thank you and oh god all my feels. I KNOW WHERE MIKE IS COMING FROM

*ahem* so yeah thats my interpretation, feel free to comment if you disagree.

ZaffersNovember 28, 2012, 12:52 AM EST.

Comment ID #233376

Yeah i had noticed that he seemed ****** in that chapter hugging her. He takes it as a job now. He has no emotional feelings for Lucy at all anymore and sees her as a parasite basically. Siphoning off his company while unintentionally berating him. Well I can’t blame his wanting to get away, but he went too far and skirted the bounds of being ruthless about it.

Comment ID #233379

Comment ID #233380

i really hope we get to see mikes pov soon

monkeyfistNovember 28, 2012, 1:54 AM EST.

Comment ID #233381

I just noticed something odd when I was reading Chapter 43: Arrival(this took place before the bridge that’s why i’m mentioning it) pages 28 and 29. In page 28, Zach( )says “I didn’t know you had a boyfriend?” and Lucy replies “I don’t” I thought this was normal same as Yashy’s comment and Mike getting riled up, but Zach asking him “You’re not dating her” and Mike’s response “No because I have a much nicer sweeter prettier girlf… umph” seemed a little odd. I asked myself why would he talk like that in front of Lucy and why would she care? Page 29 pretty much summed it up.

In page 29(of Arrival), Lucy wanted to keep Mike quiet about Sandy in front of Yashy, Mike responded with a simple “She’s GOING to know eventually! I HATE keeping it some “sinful” secret” while pushing Lucy away. O.O Mike physically pushed Lucy away and was pretty much forced to hold hands with Lucy and keep quiet about Sandy or risk having Yashy cry a minute later . Taeshi is a master of foreshadowing. I notice some subtle hints here and there, but some of it is Just Beautiful(

supertails19November 28, 2012, 2:00 AM EST.

Comment ID #233382

So, this is where Mike begins to change into the “jerk” everyone talks about.
It’s great that Mike decided, for whatever reason after nearly dying, to stop “taking it” from Lucy (at this stage, he also becomes more confrontational with Paulo as well), but he doesn’t need to be a d-bag about it. Instead of just feeling bad for “poor little me”, maybe he should man up and-what’s this?-ask why Lucy is acting so rough? *gasp* Maybe he should try this thing called communication and reasoning? I heard sentient beings are really good at this. Maybe he should ask her to stop, instead of smiling like an idiot every time she beats him?
Funny thing is, Mike is acting a whole lot like Lucy. He’s selectively being a stone-walling jerk, feeling bad for himself, and trying to act like everything is okay. While Lucy idolizes him, he idolizes Sandy and by this standard, both of them place everyone else in the background.
The only difference is that he’s a guy, has gray fur, and green eyes, but besides that he’s reflecting the behaviors he dislikes in Lucy. All he needs to do now is beat people and he’ll be exactly like Lucy.

Blank On PurposeNovember 28, 2012, 2:05 AM EST.

Comment ID #233383

I have to remember not to post so late I end up getting sloppy. Taeshi is a master of foreshadowing. I notice some subtle hints here and there, but some of it is… wow I can’t think of a word to describe how much of an awesome storyteller Taeshi is. I fail-_-. Where is Augustus in all of this? Oh wait in school.

supertails19November 28, 2012, 2:07 AM EST.

Comment ID #233384

UGGGGGHH

KnucNovember 28, 2012, 2:17 AM EST.

Comment ID #233386

The flame effect looks really cool!
:D

wr3hNovember 28, 2012, 3:05 AM EST.

Comment ID #233387

@ Blank on Purpose

I agree to an extent that he is being just as bad as Lucy in some ways but with the whole asking Lucy why she is rough that kind of goes back to the stuff with Sandy where he had kind of accepted that that was his role and it was only after she started pointing out how screwed up the relationship is did he start getting angry about it. After all this had been going on for YEARS. Thats a long time to have that type of physical and emotional abuse and once it started being acknowledged it kind of opened the floodgates. Also he had been trying to put a stop to her **** and get her to stop assaulting him all the time but she just calls him idiot and ignores it. Even if he had a serious conversation about it Lucy hadn’t really understood her own feelings and would have just lashed out more anyways.

I also wouldn’t say that he idolizes Sandy the way Lucy does him. Lucy was for a bit to the point where she feels that her life would become nothing without Mike. He was literally her everything for awhile as shown in her talk with Zach. She doesn’t even acknowledge that she has other friends and thinks she will be alone. Mike on the other hand is aware of all the blessings in his life and has friends and enjoys being around people so he doesn’t need Sandy as a crutch like Lucy needs him. Of course he does think she is a sparkling diamond but the type of idolizing is different, he is kind of closer to actually idolizing while Lucy just made him the pillar of her life with only bitter acceptance of the role from him. And I wouldn’t exactly say he is being all sorry about himself, he is just bitter and just wants to not deal with her above all else. He doesn’t want sympathy or feel like his life is falling apart, he just wants to get away from a person he considers a parasite….

and did so in a way to completely crush her. I may defend why Mike is angry but I of course think what he did was above and beyond what was called for. Cutting off relations? Okay. Trying to turn everyone against her and make her feel worse than garbage? Too much.

I think part of that can be also attributed to his jealousy/outrage when it comes to other guys. Despite what he may say about not caring what she does he WAS especially angry after well,

that. Part of it can be attributed that now that he sees her as a parasite he is seeing her interactions with Paulo and Augustus to be her latching onto them now which makes him seem like he wasn’t even needed anyways, anyone would do as long as they will pay attention to her which makes him even angrier that he put up with this **** for years. So mix years of abuse, bitterness about that, anger at her parasitic tendencies, probably a bit of jealousy that “any manwhore would do” and you got a toxic slide of emotions which were fine as long as they stayed away from each other.

Comment ID #233388

It’s really hard to find love like that. If Mike didn’t already feel that way mutually with Sandy, Lucy’s love wouldn’t have been such a burden for him. It’s such a shame and a waste. Good luck to ya Lucy. Some of us are rootin’ for ya!

DavidNovember 28, 2012, 3:16 AM EST.

Comment ID #233389

I am afraid not Lucy.
That one time you didn’t have him back, you actually lost him. Maybe forever.

CavaraNovember 28, 2012, 3:24 AM EST.

Comment ID #233390

The angst, it burns us precious!

FluffyNovember 28, 2012, 3:31 AM EST.

Comment ID #233391

Yes Lucy you had him back…..for about six/ seven story arcs, after that your bond went on a crash course with zero chance of comming out un-scarred.

DeathofInkNovember 28, 2012, 4:06 AM EST.

Comment ID #233393

Poor Lucy I realy think that she does not deserve that mike act like a Jerk in the futur.

RegichanNovember 28, 2012, 5:16 AM EST.

Comment ID #233394

@ Zaffers
Not to draw lines, but it seems you’re more for Mike and I’m more for Lucy.
By the way you describe it, everyone is “normal” in comparison to Lucy who is the centrifuge of drama. To reach such a conclusion, you must have gained a small tolerance for individuals like Lucy and do not relate as much with her like I do. If the characters follow your line of reasoning, then Lucy is in a difficult position in where she requires social support, but will not receive any, and must somehow struggle past her own insecurities on her own merits. It is to lack sympathy for a character that is in obvious and dire need of sympathy.
As you’ve pointed out, Mike has his “comfort net” of friends (a gaggle of females willing to be his companion) and the “apple of his eye” Sandy, whom he will undoubtedly “bag”. Lucy has no secure relationship with anyone outside of her pets. She is a component of isolation that is only receiving more isolation, when she desires inclusion.
Individuals like Lucy who are shy and different from most can result in individuals with great potential. In their attempts to seek answers they are unable to receive from others, they must search themselves, others, and the world to find those answers. She may be a mess now, but with time, endurance, and effort, she can be much more.
Mike relies on his “safety net” that acts as the pillars that support his life, which he takes for granted and tosses harshly in Lucy’s face. Lucy doesn’t have that and if she continues to fight and seek reason, she won’t need it and then it will be the others who come to her as “parasites”.

Blank On PurposeNovember 28, 2012, 5:21 AM EST.

Comment ID #233395

Is it wrong to say that this is giving me a little bit of heartbreak all over again? Hearing it from Lucy’s side, she sounds like she’s trapped inside her own bad habits.

budPuppyNovember 28, 2012, 5:27 AM EST.

Comment ID #233396

Part of Mike died that day… What came back, was not human* anymore…

*in this case human means cat - dude I guess.

@supertails19
More like most of his brain was left on the rock bottom of that river. Yet his head was put back together with magic power of Creator** herself, because he still has a mission***

**Taeshi
***Spread drama - lots of it

@Zaffers
I totally don’t remember any part when Mike asked Lucy to stop. Also it’s kinda interesting. He was all like “abuse is awwwright” for years. Since even in retcons we didn’t seen him complaining, or even acting like a victim at all. He literally didn’t shown any sign that this is not awwwright for all those years, and they were used to it. Suddenly he changed his mind. That’s okay, but do he tell Lucy, that it’s not cool anymore? No, he didn’t tell her that until the moment he was trying to mentally crush her. Also this whole enjoying friends thing - he should clean his nose after it, because it’s all brown.

Commander_ZeroNovember 28, 2012, 5:30 AM EST.

Comment ID #233397

People are being a little harsh with this ‘crazy clingy cat’ thing. People are saying that the only reason she went to Paulo to cry is because she is so emotionally unstable she needs to cling to someone. She thought she lost her love… She wasn’t being clingy at that point, any normal person would want to cry on someone’s shoulder if they thought someone was dead., it’s human nature to do so so (i do realise they are cats). Lucy is just insecure is all, not emotionally unstable

On another note it’s good to see this story from Lucy’s perspective. I used to like Mike, but I think he’s acting more like a teenage girl every time I see him. Are you sure he’s a boy?

FuransukaNovember 28, 2012, 6:11 AM EST.

Comment ID #233398

When i saw the flames in the first panel this was the first thing that came to my mind.

Last Time on BCB Z Super Mentally Unhinged Lucy was about to face off against her greatest foe yet…

What does the scouter say about there drama level?!?! ITS OVER 9000!!!!

ShadowChrisNovember 28, 2012, 6:57 AM EST.

Comment ID #233399

Poor lucy . lucy’s fellings only come out in extreme conditions which makes it harder for her to talk about them and think strait.

Blue foxNovember 28, 2012, 8:05 AM EST.

Comment ID #233400

What does “then they found you” mean?

IrisNovember 28, 2012, 8:19 AM EST.

Comment ID #233401

@Iris
They found him.

-You did read the vacation arc, yes?

StarlingNovember 28, 2012, 9:06 AM EST.

Comment ID #233402

@Iris

“They found you” means they teased out Mike repressed memories and feelings of love………………………………… about Paulo.

Huh?November 28, 2012, 9:15 AM EST.

Comment ID #233403

oh wait got it. Sorry I didn’t make the connection from the last page. derp!

IrisNovember 28, 2012, 9:41 AM EST.

Comment ID #233404

Lucy went to Paulo? What? She fainted again and Paulo is carrying her when they found Mike. So that means she went to him? She didn’t go to him for comfort, if you remember right she fell to the ground crying and it was Paulo who came to comfort her, she didn’t go to Paulo. I am trying to figure why Mike would think she went to Paulo, I am pretty sure Paulo or David is the only ones who can carry her. So if David was carrying her would Mike think she is a *****? I don’t know if someone was clinging to me crying, SHOUTING at me telling me I didn’t have to die, I would think I mean something.
Seriously Look: she can’t even talk or even get mad at him. But Mike… is like so what?http://www.bittersweetcandybowl.com/c45/p1.html

SomeoneNovember 28, 2012, 10:24 AM EST.

Comment ID #233405

I’m loving this art. And thanks to some of the comments above, I’m a little more able to see that a lot of Mike’s “hatred” of Lucy was not just a simmering lagoon that had been brewing over the years and just popped up at the surface, but came from his misunderstanding of the situation when he came to.
Can’t wait to see the continuation of everything, even though it’ll hurt..!

Shi-chanNovember 28, 2012, 10:45 AM EST.

Comment ID #233406

Too bad this is a flashback! But it is interesting to note that Lucy realised something was up before the crash. Just makes me respect her more now that she appears to be more insightful of her life.

When this page first loaded I totally thought Mike was the Avatar or something being reincarnated, especially with those badass bandages.

If she only knew what the next few months would be like…

foreveryoung5November 28, 2012, 10:54 AM EST.

Comment ID #233407

@someone

People read a lot of weird things into the pages of this story.
Stuff that isn’t even there.
Usually because they support one character over the other in a quite bewilderingly fanatic manner.

I’ve stopped trying to work it out. Or even tell them off. No matter which one they ‘support’. Chiefly because they seem to forget what’s happened previously as well.

xD

StarlingNovember 28, 2012, 10:55 AM EST.

Comment ID #233408

I just re-read the whole Mike destroys Lucy, it wasn’t even 1/10th as bad as I remember watching it update by update while reading hundreds of comments about Mike literally being Hitler.

It was pretty Harsh indeed but if he hadn’t started going all arrogant about the guys all following him, I would have seen nothing too wrong there since that was the only really low blow in my opinion.

But yeah, damn the drama is heavy here huehuehue…

AzarhacNovember 28, 2012, 10:59 AM EST.

Comment ID #233409

@Someone

Gah! I was writing this before you posted but you hit a lot of the same major points I did, Thank you for bringing it up too! I’m not alone!

Well, here is something I ask many of you who think that Lucy started clinging to Paulo after she thought Mike was dead… Did Lucy actually cling to Paulo first?

That answer is actually, No. Lucy did not cling to Paulo, she curled up in a little ball to cry by herself, and Paulo pulled her to him to comfort her. Only after Paulo began to hold her did she cling to him. For the most part Lucy sticks to herself and doesn’t let anyone help her when she is upset, she only takes what is given to her by others. The only person she latched on to of her own choice was actually Zach, because he became the person closest to her. (As in, closest to her physically, meaning he was the nearest person she could latch on to for stability while keeping her distance from the water.)

Mike doesn’t know that part, so he feels he could be replaced. The truth is, if no one had come to comfort her, she probably would have cried in that little ball alone. After she snapped even her pets couldn’t get her out of it. She began to keep saying he was dead, smashed against the rocks, and laughing out of a pure psychotic break.

It seems that Mike seems to stumble on Paulo and Lucy at the worst times to imply there is something more between them. If you look back at the other chapters you will also find that, in most cases, Lucy sticks to herself and Paulo inserts himself into helping her whether she wants him to or not. Although, yes, she did go to him for comfort after the incident where Mike told her “No”, she was begging Paulo to help her because she didn’t want to lose Mike. She didn’t really think about initiating a make-out, and when she did make out with Paulo, she said very clearly “Won’t this make you stay?” She was doing it because she was terrified that, like Mike, if she didn’t do something, she would lose everyone else too.

It’s sad that in a way she was imprinting her needs for Mike onto Paulo at that time. It’s worse that Mike reacted in anger, jealousy, and loathing while also further cementing, in his mind, that she is a parasite who was just using him.

Poor Lucy, you should have asked him what was wrong when you noticed something was off. It could have saved you from more heartache later on…

GracefulSerenityNovember 28, 2012, 10:59 AM EST.

Comment ID #233410

I think this makes sense now - even when he was daring Sandy, Mike made clear in earlier comics that he cared deeply for Lucy as a friend. However, I think when he loved Lucy it kind of blinded him to some of her faults, and once he saw her as just a friend he kinda noticed how rather than treating him like a friend, she clings to him as the “only one who understands” - so he felt used.
When the others thought he was dead, he saw Lucy had immediately replaced him with Paulo, which embittered him. take into account what Sandy said about her abusing him, and how a “real friend would never hurt you” which I think happened before this.
Then Lucy confessed, and expected him to be with her - “didn’t you want me before?” And “so someone else means more to you than I can?” And all his other friends ganged up on him too - which annoyed him even more, and then her complaining about Mike “not caring about her feelings” after he’d done so much for her, and already feeling used made things EVEN worse, and the final straw was Lucy rebounding on Paulo AGAIN.
Combine that with Abbeys speech and Lucy slapping him across the face when they were cast for the play.
I really don’t blame Mike for being so upset

Comment ID #233412

@dave,
good observation, way to point out mike’s perspective point for point in the transformation.

striderNovember 28, 2012, 3:02 PM EST.

Comment ID #233413

@Blank

Don’t know if you are still following this but maybe you are. Anyways I will perfectly admit I feel more for Mike as I have been in a situation very much like he was in and it sucks. So I probably automatically side with him on some situations since I think his anger is justified (though his later reactions are certainly not) I didn’t react like Mike did but I also wasn’t in it nearly as long and I tend to not get bitter for long regardless.

Anyways if I came across as unsympathetic to her then I apologize because that’s not my intention. She DOES need help and Mike’s actions are a great way to completely destroy her. She needs to learn that she could rely on other friends as Zach tried to tell her. Instead though she just fixated more on Mike since she realized her actual feelings and then this led to more problems. I sympathize with her plight but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel Mike’s anger at the situation isn’t completely justified. Even if she is someone who deserves sympathy and help when you are the one that has had to carry the burden and are sick of it it doesn’t matter how much sympathy they should get, you aren’t going to give it cause you are angry.

I feel the other characters should reach out to her and my respect for Paulo has only gone up because of his attempts to keep contact with her and help her. Regardless of any shipping stuff he is a good man because he gets how crushed she has been and tries to do something about it so good on him. I wish the other characters would notice and try to do the same.

And part of my reply was just pointing out things from Mike’s point of view more than an objective one. He is the one that would see her as a parasite and just needing to cling onto other people because the drama must make it so he always walks into things at the wrong time and there is probably a fair bit of jealousy and being egotistical within the whole thing.

Also with the clinging onto Paulo thing I should have made it clear I meant from Mike’s perspective. She did just curl into a ball like that and Paulo went near but Mike would see it as trading one support for another once he sees Paulo carrying her. Again, drama has to make it so he sees the worst things possible and interprets them in the worst way since he “knows” all about Lucy. serious finger quotes there.

And not going to argue Lucy’s future potential because….well because its future potential. More interested in arguing the now since that we have evidence and the like of.

But yeah tl;dr I do sympathize with Mike a lot but I do have sympathy for Lucy. She is in a terrible situation even if it was partially engineered by herself and because of it she doesn’t really know how to get out of it considering she barely knows how to make friends anyways and Mike is trying to monopolize all of the ones she does have to get her out of his life. Which is a completely terrible thing to do.

ZaffersNovember 28, 2012, 3:34 PM EST.

Comment ID #233415

@ShadowChris:

Oh god, I thought I was the only one thinking this

ChocothundaNovember 28, 2012, 4:53 PM EST.

Comment ID #233416

@Blank On Purpose I totally agree. He’s becoming what he claims he hates most, simply by being a jerk to Lucy. There’s NO NEED TO STOOP TO HER LEVEL MIKE. IF ANYTHING YOU’RE EVEN WORSE FOR IT!

RylanNovember 28, 2012, 6:46 PM EST.

Comment ID #233417

Dayum…..Dose NO ONE EVER READ THE ABOUT PAGE?????????!?!?
Just enjoy the comic for what it is. Don’t over analyze things and everything will be ok in the end

Akado_OmoiNovember 28, 2012, 7:22 PM EST.

Comment ID #233418

@Dave
You know, that part about turing friends against him makes sense. He’s brownnoseing ‘em on every step, and still is the one to blame. That’s so not fair.

Commander_ZeroNovember 28, 2012, 8:03 PM EST.

Comment ID #233419

@Akado

Whats on the about page that makes it so we can’t have healthy discussions about the great characters in this comic? Its interesting to pick apart the decisions and mindsets of the well developed characters Taeshi has made so why should we stop? We are reading the series for what it is and everyone can enjoy a series in their own way.

ZaffersNovember 28, 2012, 8:26 PM EST.

Comment ID #233420

the author is dead

SuitCaseNovember 28, 2012, 9:47 PM EST.

Comment ID #233423

@ Zaffers
I was thinking about leaving the post when I saw how huge it was, but if you have the decency to reply and with a great post like that, then I’m obligated to read it and respond to it.
I also sympathize for both of them, but just like you relate more with Mike, I relate more with Lucy. I feel bad that Mike has to take this abuse from Lucy who he wants to be friends with and I’m frustrated with how he handled it. I feel bad for the loneliness Lucy goes through and I’m frustrated with her inability to look towards herself for strength.
The real drama I feel from this comic is not people being stupid, but good people suffering and being unable to work out their differences. All sides have been receiving a good deal of punishment and I just want to see things work out, instead of getting worse. I’ll be frank Taeshi: you’ve plunged us beneath the ocean, now will you take us back to the surface for air? I know it might sound insane that I’m making such a deal out of something like a web comic, but I couldn’t claim to be human if I wasn’t a little insane.
I would also like to return the gesture, Zaffers, and apologize if my previous post came across as a little aggressive. Like Lucy, it’s how I often respond to what I see as an attack, especially from a stranger.
No hard feelings, but in a comic filled with emotions, it’s easy to get fired up and caught in the heat of things.

Blank On PurposeNovember 28, 2012, 11:06 PM EST.

Comment ID #233424

@Blank Yeah I do text walls lol. And I agree wholeheartedly that it is indeed a comic of people suffering and making choices, sometimes poor, because of it and being unable to work through their problems because hey they are teenagers after all.

And don’t worry at all, I was not offended in the least by your previous post and didn’t take it as an attack. Was just clarifying my position because I could indeed see how I might be seeming unsympathetic to Lucy in my defense of Mike. So glad we resolved it, it was a good little discussion and got me rereading the archives which is always fun. Very rare for me to get so invested in a comic as well but there you go, the drama is just too good to look away from. : D

ZaffersNovember 28, 2012, 11:27 PM EST.

Comment ID #233425

I stop reading BCB for a few days and I come back to find that everyone is on fire.

TurbochargeNovember 29, 2012, 12:04 AM EST.

Comment ID #233426

Nikita: This is the point, not where Mike instantly hates her, but decides that she really isn’t worth being nice to/her punching bag anymore. Consider if you’d been telling yourself for near to a decade that your best friend abused you because it was just her way of acknowledging your friendship. Then, suddenly, you fall a good three or four stories into a river because you’re trying to prevent harm from occuring to her. Seems pretty unfair all of a sudden, right?

Comment ID #233428

@Blank On Purpose
After December we’re equivalent of Titanic, so yeah, I don’t think there’ll be any fresh air for anyone anytime soon.

@Turbocharge
I really dunno why they look like that. They were seeing each other through the flame of the campfire? If so, this is silly. Very silly. Like Pinky from Pinky and the Brain level of silly.

@StushiJaguar
I think you’re wrong. What gone through Mikes head was a rock bottom of the river. Probably why he don’t remember that his azn goddess Sandy would hug her bodypillow and suffer from sever ronerriness, if Lucy wouldn’t save his sorry *** few times in the past.

Comment ID #233429

@commander_zero,
I can get that, but that was a pretty dark joke man. Sorry for biting his head off, but damn man that’s a line even i wouldn’t cross.

striderNovember 29, 2012, 3:23 AM EST.

Comment ID #233430

Two words: Couples therapy.

BashamNovember 29, 2012, 4:55 AM EST.

Comment ID #233431

In my belief (I agree with both Zaffer and Commander_Zero) I think that since they are still young they do not know how to deal with the situations like adults. Right now they are just going on by what makes them comfortable.

TanyaNovember 29, 2012, 5:31 AM EST.

Comment ID #233432

@strider
I think this was hardly a joke, more like a trolling attempt of sort, or as I pointed out: simple cry for attention. Death is hardly a good punchline. Except for fetus jokes, but those are mostly funny for people under 24, and with exception of young mothers and fathers.

@Basham
Sue should take care of that. This would of course end with another great success.

@Tanya
That wasn’t my oppinion. I was mostly pointing out that Mike’s a brownoseing douche. Though I’m totally confused with his current persona. He’s acting mostly like a normal person around friends (minus the brownnoesing), act like a child around his mother and Sandy, and acts like a psychological bully around Lucy. Those are already three different color of Mike, and I bet that re-reading whole thing would reveal even more. It’s hardly even Mike in different situation. It’s more like Dr SuckUp McBrownNouse and Mr Douche, with addition of BabyMan.

Commander_ZeroNovember 29, 2012, 5:42 AM EST.

Comment ID #233433

If you look really carefully, you can actually see when Mike starts becoming the most hated character in the series.

SanitariumNovember 29, 2012, 6:55 AM EST.

Comment ID #233434

Mike’s change does seem rather drastic, which reminds me about some medical cases, where subject changes behavior (i.e becomes more violent) after having a head trauma.
I wonder whether it would be possible in this case?

IncognitusNovember 29, 2012, 7:14 AM EST.

Comment ID #233435

“He’s acting mostly like a normal person around friends (minus the brownnoesing), act like a child around his mother and Sandy, and acts like a psychological bully around Lucy. Those are already three different color of Mike, and I bet that re-reading whole thing would reveal even more. It’s hardly even Mike in different situation. It’s more like Dr SuckUp McBrownNouse and Mr Douche, with addition of BabyMan.”

No one acts the same to everyone. You’re lying to yourself and others if you say you treat everyone the same.

Mike doesn’t have anything against the other characters so he just acts like he normally would.
Some nicer than others. Not because he’s “brown noseing.” But because they are nice to him too and never did anything wrong to him.
He’s nicer to some because cause they’ve never wronged him like hitting/insulting him, like his sister, Paulo or David, so naturally he’ll be tenser and a bit rougher around them.

Sandy and his mom are people he loves deeply so he will naturally act more nicer, meeker, more respectful, and even shyer around them (mostly around Sandy.) Not really a baby. I mean, seems pretty normal to me.

He’s a “douche” to Lucy cause he no longer wants to associate with her, and he finds her presence to be a nuisance/annoying, and of course, he hates her. I’m sure pretty much all of you at least THOUGHT worst things than what Mike has said to her. Or even said worst AND did worst. You’re way too shelter if you’ve never met someone and grown to hate them.

It’s not “different colors” or anything like that. He just treats people differently like anyone would.

If you find someone annoying you’re naturally be more rude around them. If you like someone you’re naturally going to be nicer to them.

Might as well just call EVERYONE in the whole world “Dr SuckUp McBrownNouse and Mr Douche, with addition of BabyMan” if you’re going to call Mike that for treating a variety of people in his life different.

wowfoodNovember 29, 2012, 8:27 AM EST.

Comment ID #233436

@Suitcase…. what tha fark?

poopie123November 29, 2012, 8:40 AM EST.

Comment ID #233437

@wowfood
As I said: it’s one thing to act differently in few situations and act like not himself. There are few things in your and everyone elses personality that are constant. This is why you can say someone is generally a nice guy, but is moody at a times. But still you can recognise the person because you recognise the behaviour. To me Mike is acting like three different people. And that’s what I tried to explain in previous comment.

Commander_ZeroNovember 29, 2012, 9:11 AM EST.

Comment ID #233438

So now it makes sense! I wondered why Mike looked so angry back then. So he had begun to resent her at this point? Because she was angry he died? Because she thought she had lost him forever? I think after the trauma she had last time he went for a swim, that was expected, even if no one else acted the way she did.

Mike thought he figured it out, and I suppose he did, but really? After THAT? I guess I had found some respect for Mike, rereading and understanding his viewpoint, but now I’m not sure. I don’t know anymore, but Mike feeling like that, at that point, is horrible.

His anger was be legit. His reply may be cruel, but still sense in the context. But then act in this way after that… I’m mean WTF

Adept-eXNovember 29, 2012, 12:40 PM EST.

Comment ID #233441

When you see ALL the things….. both are bad?

SriKurmariboNovember 29, 2012, 3:57 PM EST.

Comment ID #233442

This is something I noticed while re-reading loose ends - I don’t know if I’m reading too deep, or if it was intentional -
When Abbey is treating his mothers wounds, she says something along the lines of “I suppose I must get on your fathers nerves” which is sadly a very common view point - the victim is mentally conditioned to believe everything that happens is their fault.
Now when Mike had a bloody nose from Lucy hitting him, when Sandy was upset, he said “it’s okay - I was being annoying anyway”
Mike is an abuse victim
:’(

DaveNovember 29, 2012, 4:31 PM EST.

Comment ID #233443

@Silversoma
I kinda agree with you on why Mike hates her now, but there could be another reason. Remember how Lucy asumed Mike was dead from hitting his head on a rock? Well maybe he did hit his head, just not that hard. And that hit might have caused him to think differently of her (somehow (and possibly the others)) from how he thought before. Just maybe….

SonoNovember 29, 2012, 4:32 PM EST.

Comment ID #233444

Yay! Finally im caught up with the story! Not really relevant to the story but its the 3rd time ive tried and im proud of that.

NickdamazingNovember 29, 2012, 4:39 PM EST.

Comment ID #233445

@Sono

I highly doubt that was the reason. He had reasons to be tired of her for awhile.http://www.bittersweetcandybowl.com/c39/p9.html
“Do you know what its like to be me and having someone like lucy? Sue me for wanting to watch over her, she needs me nothing else.”

This was like 4 chapters before his fall. It was some good foreshadowing of the temper Mike actually has when he is blamed for stuff and how he considers Lucy to be such a burden that he needs to be there so she doesn’t fall apart. His feelings in this chapter at this page aren’t knew, they just started boiling to the top around then when he realized how she would be if he wasn’t around.

I hope that someday we see why Mike puts up with Lucy, as we really learn why Lucy is so cold and mean.

I also don’t get if someone looses it because they think your dead… shouldn’t that throw up a flag?
More than anything this out of all Mikes acts(chapter 45 page 5) confuses me the most, she can’t even speak she is sooo… glad to have him back and know he isn’t dead.
Please explain that one to me.

SomeoneNovember 29, 2012, 7:44 PM EST.

Comment ID #233448

@Suitcase: … You better be joking. If you’re not… where can I send the flowers ? My condolences if what you said about your wife is true. Also if Veronica is still alive give her a hug and be grateful to have someone so amazing in your life because some of us don’t ;-;. Lucy would love to have someone that would never leave her or break her heart.

Comment ID #233466

Comment ID #233469

@Someone

well new page is out so I doubt anyone will still read this but why not might as well answer regardless.

Its called abuse. Its hard to understand but when people are in these abusive relationships they for awhile will just try to justify it as Abbey’s mom did. Oh yeah I deservered it. I did something to make her mad ect as shown in December. You try to rationalize the abuse until someone points out how ****ed up it is. That’s why he didn’t comment about it for ages and once he did start realizing how bad it was he figured that regardless of what he says it wouldn’t matter. After all, she attacks EVERYONE. Mike isn’t the only one she beats up, she has physically attacked Paulo, Mike, David, Jessica and I think Tess at one point. He probably just figures it who she is and that he just has to deal with it because she ignores when other people get ****** off or angry at her actions even if they don’t specifically say to stop. Some may say that that is wrong of Mike but again its the mentality of the abused towards the abuser and all of them do it, NOBODY comments for her to stop because they are just so numb to it even if it hurts or makes them a bit frustrated they think its something that can’t be changed. Terrible attitude but not uncommon.

Also chores change when not doing your chore would destroy another person. then its an obligation for that person, a sacrifice of yourself to keep them sane.

And as for his actions on that specific page its kind of what I mentioned before. Because of how terrified she was and how she breaks down and the like he feels he will never be able to leave. That she will continue to cling to him no matter what happens in the future and that even when he wants to follow a life with his girlfriend he will need to be around because if he isn’t she will completely shatter. He is aware of it and lily is aware of it as even Lily mentions that she must not wake up before they find Mike or she will fall apart which she did.

He doesn’t want to be shackled for the rest of his life to his abusive friend and he is too busy being frustrated with the situation to think her crying is about love, instead he feels its simply her need which he feels is based in selfishness. He is so angry and bitter about the shackles he interprets things in the worst ways, thats the best answer I can give.

ZaffersNovember 30, 2012, 12:55 AM EST.

Comment ID #233471

@Adept-eX
But seriously don’t you think he could have been nicer, it is his fault it went on this long. And also stop being a jerk to him for I think about 3-4months. So seriously please can anyone explain WHY!

@Zaffers
That makes sense, thank you.

SomeoneNovember 30, 2012, 12:58 AM EST.

Comment ID #242487

Am I the only one who thought that Mike’s bandage makes him look like the Avatar in the first panel?

RajnagaranApril 5, 2013, 6:25 AM EST.

Comment ID #245744

maybe the little ******* hit his head during the fall or something
cos after that, he was never the same.
never ever.
sigh

silveryogurtMay 15, 2013, 1:45 AM EST.

Comment ID #272607

This is just my personal theory, but, I think Mike underwent a personality change when he goes missing in this arc. It’s been reported that people that have near-death experiences undergo major personality changes, such as a shy person becoming bolder and more outspoken (*hint* *hint*). That’s just what I think though.